


When the Author Is Sick

by ArchiveResponcibly



Series: The Three Narrators [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Fluff, author drop, author has a cold, narrators
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-09
Updated: 2019-11-09
Packaged: 2021-01-26 06:20:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21369547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArchiveResponcibly/pseuds/ArchiveResponcibly
Summary: In a world where authors need narrators, what ever happens when said author acquires a cold?
Series: The Three Narrators [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1540654
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	When the Author Is Sick

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I do have a cold, but I'm fine. No, I do not actually work with narrators, I write all this crap myself.

I would argue for hours with anyone trying to say there was ever a good reason to wake me up at six in the morning. Except, apparently, if it had to do with the chaos that was my boss. 

A ringing sounded from my nightstand. For a moment, I thought it was my alarm, then realised it was my ringtone. In my dazed, unknowing of the time state, I picked it up. 

“Holy fuck, Ryan, you picked up???” came the voice of Augustus, another narrator. “Nevermind that, it’s Res.”

Looking over at the clock and groaning, I responded, “Bitch, it’s barely six, can we not talk about the human representation of chaos.” a snort came from somewhere on the other side. “Is Kelly with you?” 

Ignoring my second question, Augustus explained quickly. “They’re sick.” a moment of silence fell over the three of us. 

“Fuck!” Kelly cried. A loud thud followed, probably indicating that she’d fallen off the sofa. 

I groaned, looking piteously at the clock once again. “I’ll be over in… ten. Make sure they don’t do anything too stupid, or else.” with that, I hung up and rolled out of bed. 

My room was smaller, unsurprisingly. No one was gonna say that narrating for authors without the ability to write first person point of view paid well. At least Res was pretty nice to the three of us.

  
  


I fumbled with my keys for a moment before Kelly came to open the door. I tumbled into the medium sized room as Kelly stepped back. Augustus was lounging tensely on the large sofa in the back corner. Res was nowhere in sight. 

The door to the office opened and Res stepped out. They wore a baggy sweatshirt and sweatpants; a plush axolotl clutched to their chest. 

“Goodmorning.” they welcomed, smiling lightly at us. Their voice was gravely and slightly nazely. “Sorry I don’t have any chapters planned. Can you three… come up with a special or something? I don’t wanna completely disappear for two weeks.” 

“Of course.” Augustus responded. “Would you like tea?” They nodded, but moved over to the kitchenette in the other corner and turned on the electric kettle. 

Once they’d returned to their office, probably to watch anime, the three of us debated what to do for the chapter. “We could… try to come up with the next chapters of our works? Res must have some plans for them.” Kelly mused. 

“Look, you have a great voice for description and all, but you could not write a Stability chapter.” Augustus informed. “Honestly, none of us have Res’s ideas, any chapter we write will be obviously different.” 

“What if,” I posed. “We write something clever following the three of us? First person, obviously.” the other two laughed. 

“Ryan, that’s too damn meta.” Kelly snorted. “I know you have something against fourth walls and everything, but that’s pushing it.”

Augustus elbowed her. “I think it’s brilliant! I mean, it’s not like that’s exactly what Res is doing right this moment or anything.” 

** _Please stand by while the repair team patches up the fourth wall. Thank you for your understanding. _ **

Once the repair guys had left, we got to work thinking up silly oneshots, Augustus’s idea (of course). Damn, why’d he have to be so sensible? I went with random, domestic fluff (very Res). I believe Kelly and Augustus were working together on something deeper, I’m still not sure what exactly.

using my narrative voice wasn’t hard. What was hard was coming up with what Res would do, what story would they tell, what scenes would they add, how would they portray that character, what witty comment would they have MC make, etc. Damn, imitating an author’s style is harder than you’d think. 

Kelly laughed at something on Augustus’s laptop. “Ryan! Come look at memes with us, you’re gonna give yourself a headache thinking so hard.” I shook my head.

“What if we just accept that these oneshots will never have Res’s creativity, and we just admit it’s us writing? I’m sure nobody will care.” Augustus pondered.

Kelly rolled off the sofa, landing with a quiet thud on the plushy carpet. “No!” she cried. “We shall’nt succumb to failure!” Augustus and I laughed heartily. She stood up straighter than I believe I’ve ever seen her stand, her right arm angled up towards the ceiling. She looked… let’s go with regal “We shall write the best goddamn oneshots the goddamn internet has ever goddamn read!” we laughed again. 

“Sure, sure.” I told her. “How the hell are you Stability’s narrator, again?” 

“Wow, I see how it is.” she huffed, plopping back onto the sofa next to Augustus. “You two suck, you know that, right?”

I looked her dead in the eyes. “Oh darling, that’s an understatement.” the two of us laughed, Augustus sighed loudly. 

“Can we get back to writing? We still have to get these out by tomorrow.” he complained, Kelly snickered. 

“What on earth do you mean? It’s not like the four of us do this basically every week.” even Augustus laughed. Res peeked out of the door to their office.

“The readers aren’t supposed to know that!” they cried, going back inside with another  _ “shush!”  _ we all laughed lightly. 

  
  


“Fuck! I’ve got class.” Kelly cried, looking down at her watch in astonishment. “I’ll see you all later.” with that, she slipped out the door and raced to her car, feet clacking on the front walk. 

“I swear,” I commented. “She wears tap shoes to work every day.” Augustus chuckled, not taking his eyes off his laptop. 

An hour of two later, Augustus too had to run to an afternoon cooking class. Apparently he cooks now? I’d heard no mention of it. I wrote up some quick notes, trying to imitate Res’s sort of childish, excitable nature. I still think I overdid it slightly.

“Goodbye, boss!” I called, opening the door. 

The office door opened and Res slipped out. “Oh, you’re leaving? Bye!” they still held the axolotl plush (also named Ryan), just down at their side. “Thank you guys, really. I don’t know what I’d do without you three.” 

“You certainly wouldn’t be so successful.” I told them, they nodded. 

“Thank Augustus and Kelly for me, would you?” they added, sliding back behind the door. I left through the front door, grinning slightly. 

**Author's Note:**

> I do have an axolotl plush named Ryan, that part is true, it was just too perfect not to mention. Do you wanna see these three again? Or have you no interest in them?


End file.
